Done for 2010!

The Cleveland Farmers Market is officially finished for the 2010 season. What a season it has been! The season extended from May to the day before Thanksgiving -- longer than any other year.

Here's a picture from the November 28, 2010 Cleveland Current of Tonya Gort and Mr. Smitty setting up the last market.

Special Wednesday Farmers Market!

The Cleveland Farmers Market will be open this Wednesday, November 24 from noon to 4 p.m. behind the Cleveland post office. This is going to be the last market until spring so come out and get your greens, sweet potatoes, and Sweet Heat products.

Fall 2010 Food Demonstration

Folks of all ages enjoyed the food demonstration.

Dr. Cam McMillen shares her love of food and cooking.

She's a food scientist so she fielded questions from the participants.

Eleanor Green shows how easy it is to make healthy, delicious food.

Sweet potato biscuits

Sweet potato frittata

Yum! Everybody digs into the feast.

On the menu:

turkey, sauteed greens with garlic,

sweet potato sausage balls, sweet potato and carrot risotto,

sweet potato feta frittata, sweet potato biscuits,

harvest sweet potato muffins,

vegetables with spicy honey-peanut sauce,

roasted sweet potato, apple, and spinach salad,

and sweet potato brownies.

Check out this plate!

Food and fellowship

Giving thanks:

Thanks, Cam and Elle, for all of the hard work to make this event happen.

Thanks, DSU, for partnering with the market.

Thanks, USDA-Farmers Market Promotion Program grant, for providing the funds for this and other events.

Thanks, Bolivar Commerical, The Cleveland Current, and WABG, for promoting the event.

Thanks, community participants, for sharing a Sunday afternoon with the market.

Recipes

Your Award-Winning Farmers Market!

On Tuesday, November 12, growers, volunteers, and community supporters accepted a Home Town Champion Award at Delta State's Seventh Annual Community Recognition Luncheon. This award would not have been possible without six years of generous support from local, regional, state, and federal partnerships. It was truly an honor to accept the award on behalf of the Cleveland Farmers Market.

Here's the DSU press release about the event.

Fall 2010 Food Demonstration

On Sunday, November 21, 2010 from 3-5 p.m. at Delta State University’s Ada Swindle Mitchell Memorial Kitchen in Ewing Hall, the Cleveland Farmers Market will present a food preparation demonstration featuring innovative, healthy recipes for fresh, local produce and products such as honey and sweet potatoes. The demonstration is free. Space is limited so please RSVP to clevelandfarmersmarket@gmail.com or 662-719-9595 by Friday, November 19, 2010.

The demonstration is part of a 2009 United States Department of Agriculture Farmers Market Promotion Program (USDA FMPP) grant. FMPP was created through an amendment of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to help improve and expand domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agri-tourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer marketing opportunities. Since its inception, FMPP has awarded nearly $14.5 million to increase direct marketing income and consumer access to local farm products.

Now in its sixth year, the Cleveland Farmers Market provides opportunities for local farmers and producers to sell directly to consumers and build community by having a weekly gathering space. Drawing from small and medium-sized farms and home gardens in the core eleven Mississippi Delta counties, the market strives to provide consumers with an fresh, affordable alternative to conventional marketplaces. The market operates every Saturday from May through October from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Farmers and vendors sell locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables as well as eggs, honey, baked goods, jams and jellies, pickled vegetables, fresh-cut flowers, and other unique Mississippi Delta items.

For more information about the Cleveland Farmers Market, please contact Michelle Johansen at clevelandfarmersmarket@gmail.com.